Gergen: Politicians failing America

Published: Friday, September 20, 2013 at 9:44 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, September 20, 2013 at 9:44 a.m.

BREVARD — Today's leaders in Washington should look to earlier generations for lessons in how to govern effectively, political analyst and presidential adviser David Gergen told a packed audience at Brevard College Thursday.

In an hour-long speech, Gergen — a CNN analyst who served under one Democratic and three Republican presidents — lamented extremism on both sides of the aisle and said successful governance requires mutual respect, putting the nation above politics and a sense of humor.

The current generation of Baby Boomers leading American politics faces hurdles that are hard to surmount, Gergen said, ones brought on by cultural differences that have splintered not just Washington, but also the nation as a whole.

"I have become a short-term pessimist about where we are as a country and how we're governing ourselves, but I remain a long-term optimist," Gergen said, pointing to advances in technology and the idealistic promise of the Millennial Generation.

America is transfixed by the "Greatest Generation," Gergen said, but some of our finest statesmen were from the first World War. Born in the 19th century, people such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and George Marshall "lived in the Brevards across America, and they grew up with 19th century values."

With their strong sense of service and grit, those leaders "left an indelible mark on the generation that followed," Gergen said. Presidents from John F. Kennedy to George H.W. Bush were heavily shaped by their service in World War II and returned from overseas wanting to "rebuild America at home."

"They weren't perfect," Gergen said. "After all, they gave us Vietnam; they gave us Watergate. That is part of their legacy. But the rest of their legacy was to leave this country in incredibly good shape. As they left the stage, America was the strongest nation since the days of ancient Rome."

The World War II generation was very different from what we have now, Gergen said. Because they had served under the same flag as young men, they felt a kinship that outweighed partisan differences.

"There were strong Republicans in Washington when I got there" in 1971 to serve as President Nixon's speech writer, he said. "There were strong Democrats. But people thought of themselves first and foremost as strong Americans. That's what mattered to them."

Gergen described how divided the U.S. was in 1947 over a proposed plan to rebuild Europe. Secretary of State George Marshall reached out to Republican Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, Gergen said, "and week by week by week, they hammered out a bipartisan plan," campaigned for it, and public opinion shifted.

Nixon told Gergen his proudest moment in politics was standing up as a Republican freshman to support the Marshall Plan in the U.S. House and seeing on the other side of the aisle another freshman standing there, Democratic Rep. John F. Kennedy.

"Nixon said the point of all this is, when the chips are down, as Americans, we stand up together," Gergen said.

House Speaker Tip O'Neill and President Ronald Reagan were polar opposites on many political issues, Gergen said, "and they would go at each other. But at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they would put down their differences and lift up a glass ... they understood that the country was more important than their differences."

Together, Reagan and O'Neill reformed Social Security and passed a comprehensive tax reform bill. "It's not that hard to do, if you have statesmen that believe the country comes first," Gergen said. "We can't get to first base on tax reform now."

Born in a different time, one splintered by Vietnam and social revolutions of the 1960s and '70s, today's leaders struggle to "find what unites us," Gergen said. He said he worries President Barack Obama has insulated himself too much and hasn't built relationships with Congress.

Meanwhile, Gergen's own Republican Party "is almost unrecognizable to a lot of us." Several of the Republican presidents he worked for couldn't win a GOP nomination today, Gergen said.

"Even the iconic Ronald Reagan would have trouble getting the nomination in this party today," he said. "You know, he signed an abortion bill in California. He signed tax increases in California. How suspect would that be? Very, very. Reagan believed in working across the aisle."

But Gergen said while the government is "screwed up," he's encouraged by the innovation and competitiveness of the private sector. He cited 3D manufacturing, horizontal drilling and other new ways to tap energy as hopeful signs for the future.

And Gergen said the Millennial Generation reminds him of the World War II generation, in their idealism, love of country and willingness to serve others. He's also seen optimistic signs that "heroes" returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are ready to be tomorrow's leaders.

"The mission continues back here in America to rebuild this country, because this is the generation that can do it. I don't think our generation is going to get to the Promised Land, but I think that next generation can get it pretty darned close," he said.

<p>BREVARD — Today's leaders in Washington should look to earlier generations for lessons in how to govern effectively, political analyst and presidential adviser David Gergen told a packed audience at Brevard College Thursday. </p><p>In an hour-long speech, Gergen — a CNN analyst who served under one Democratic and three Republican presidents — lamented extremism on both sides of the aisle and said successful governance requires mutual respect, putting the nation above politics and a sense of humor.</p><p>The current generation of Baby Boomers leading American politics faces hurdles that are hard to surmount, Gergen said, ones brought on by cultural differences that have splintered not just Washington, but also the nation as a whole.</p><p>"I have become a short-term pessimist about where we are as a country and how we're governing ourselves, but I remain a long-term optimist," Gergen said, pointing to advances in technology and the idealistic promise of the Millennial Generation. </p><p>America is transfixed by the "Greatest Generation," Gergen said, but some of our finest statesmen were from the first World War. Born in the 19th century, people such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman and George Marshall "lived in the Brevards across America, and they grew up with 19th century values."</p><p>With their strong sense of service and grit, those leaders "left an indelible mark on the generation that followed," Gergen said. Presidents from John F. Kennedy to George H.W. Bush were heavily shaped by their service in World War II and returned from overseas wanting to "rebuild America at home."</p><p>"They weren't perfect," Gergen said. "After all, they gave us Vietnam; they gave us Watergate. That is part of their legacy. But the rest of their legacy was to leave this country in incredibly good shape. As they left the stage, America was the strongest nation since the days of ancient Rome."</p><p>The World War II generation was very different from what we have now, Gergen said. Because they had served under the same flag as young men, they felt a kinship that outweighed partisan differences. </p><p>"There were strong Republicans in Washington when I got there" in 1971 to serve as President Nixon's speech writer, he said. "There were strong Democrats. But people thought of themselves first and foremost as strong Americans. That's what mattered to them."</p><p>Gergen described how divided the U.S. was in 1947 over a proposed plan to rebuild Europe. Secretary of State George Marshall reached out to Republican Sen. Arthur Vandenberg, Gergen said, "and week by week by week, they hammered out a bipartisan plan," campaigned for it, and public opinion shifted. </p><p>Nixon told Gergen his proudest moment in politics was standing up as a Republican freshman to support the Marshall Plan in the U.S. House and seeing on the other side of the aisle another freshman standing there, Democratic Rep. John F. Kennedy. </p><p>"Nixon said the point of all this is, when the chips are down, as Americans, we stand up together," Gergen said. </p><p>House Speaker Tip O'Neill and President Ronald Reagan were polar opposites on many political issues, Gergen said, "and they would go at each other. But at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, they would put down their differences and lift up a glass ... they understood that the country was more important than their differences."</p><p>Together, Reagan and O'Neill reformed Social Security and passed a comprehensive tax reform bill. "It's not that hard to do, if you have statesmen that believe the country comes first," Gergen said. "We can't get to first base on tax reform now."</p><p>Born in a different time, one splintered by Vietnam and social revolutions of the 1960s and '70s, today's leaders struggle to "find what unites us," Gergen said. He said he worries President Barack Obama has insulated himself too much and hasn't built relationships with Congress.</p><p>Meanwhile, Gergen's own Republican Party "is almost unrecognizable to a lot of us." Several of the Republican presidents he worked for couldn't win a GOP nomination today, Gergen said. </p><p>"Even the iconic Ronald Reagan would have trouble getting the nomination in this party today," he said. "You know, he signed an abortion bill in California. He signed tax increases in California. How suspect would that be? Very, very. Reagan believed in working across the aisle."</p><p>But Gergen said while the government is "screwed up," he's encouraged by the innovation and competitiveness of the private sector. He cited 3D manufacturing, horizontal drilling and other new ways to tap energy as hopeful signs for the future.</p><p>And Gergen said the Millennial Generation reminds him of the World War II generation, in their idealism, love of country and willingness to serve others. He's also seen optimistic signs that "heroes" returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are ready to be tomorrow's leaders.</p><p>"The mission continues back here in America to rebuild this country, because this is the generation that can do it. I don't think our generation is going to get to the Promised Land, but I think that next generation can get it pretty darned close," he said.</p><p><i>Reach Axtell at 828-694-7860 or than.axtell@blueridgenow.com.</p>